Now, BJP wants to dismantle GTA

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 12 August 2019 | Darjeeling: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista called for immediate dissolution of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Monday, adding that BJP wants a permanent solution to the Gorkha impasse.

However, he clarified that the party is neither in favour of any unconstitutional step, nor the dilution of the federal structure of the country. He asked the people of the Hills to remain calm and patient.

"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) should immediately be dissolved. This will pave way for the permanent political solution for this region. The BJP will take all stakeholders into confidence while formulating the permanent political solution for the Hills. The GTA is illegal and unconstitutional and should be done away with immediately," remarked Bista at a press conference in Darjeeling on Monday.

He said that the GTA was constituted without removing the clause pertaining to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) in the constitution. "The GTA has no mention in the constitution. It is illegal as the DGHC has not been scrapped yet," alleged Bista.

He stated that the BJP wants Panchayat election in the Hills immediately. "It has been years that the Panchayat elections have not been held. We want three-tier Panchayat in the Hills as is the system throughout the country. For this we are ready to amend the constitution as well," Bista added.

The MP also cleared the air regarding a controversy sparked by a letter written to him by Union Home minister Amit Shah, in which the word 'Gorkhaland' was mentioned.

"Actually I had written to the Union Home minister regarding the incorporation of the people of the GTA and Ladakh under a special police cell in Delhi for inhabitants of North East (for their safety and security) residing in Delhi and its surrounding areas. He had answered and had referred to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area as Gorkhaland. This was wrongly projected," explained Bista.

However, Bista steered clear of what BJP's "permanent political solution" for the Hills would be. "There is a time for everything. Kashmir is a separate issue and does not necessary mean that when the Kashmir and Ladakh issue is brought up in Parliament, even Darjeeling will feature," stated Bista.